BEST HEAVY METAL BAND

Metal VS Hard Rock? They are differentiated by talent and IQ. Metal is characterized by simplicity (classic "3 chords") and shoots straight for your "Monkey Bone" (quoting Mr. Greenberg). Good as it is, this is why I call Black Sabath a "Heavy Metal" band. Zeppelin, on the other hand, comes from a place I'll never know (awsome talent) but can still feel. I wouldn't even put Zep in Hard Rock category because they (like Hendix, Beatles, Clapton when he's hot, Stravinsky) truly have no category except "Art". Another good (if not great) metal band (from 70's) is an east coast group called "Dust". Very powerful.

easy: Slayer. honorable mention to Black Sabbath and Metallica's work up to & including Justice. now they're just a bunch of top-40 hacks writing 3 minute made-for-radio songs based on one chord--listen to Orion, what a masterpiece with its complexity & flow; nothing like they're stuff now. Slayer is still kicking total ass after all these years. nothing compares to Reign in Blood!

I don't even like them. I prefer Ozzy, Black Sabbath, Def Leppard and many more, but not them.

Yes, DL are my fave. Ever hear any Helix? They have a song called "Heavy Metal Love", that's just killer!

Metallica ,in their early days they were the Kings. Modern day , I have to disagree with Godsmack, if I wanted to hear Alice in Chains I'd listen to Alice in Chains. COC Rock hard, as do Pantera, Slipknot(wild live shows), Sepultura (Before Max Left), 40 Grit and Stuck Mojo. But my Fave Band of all time is KYUSS, Awesome music one of the most different sounding bands ever, the Guitarist, Josh Homme (now in Queens of the Stone Age with another ex KYUSS member Nick Oliveri, Aussies catch them at the Big Day Out) used to run his setup through a Bass Amp for some Extreme bottom end power. Just the humble of a metal fan of 14 years. BTW I am only 26.